Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-14

ms1SlonS, tWenty-four rect square, having two ropes stretched through eight posts. The men were not slow in their prepara- tions, and at 7:15 Reagan appeared, walking from the boat to the ring, and, having thrown his cap into the ring, jumped in after it. He was followed by his trainer Bob Smith. Dempsey followed almost on his heels, casting his square-top Derby hat before him as he leaped over the ropes. The two men at last stood face to face, and those who saw the eight rounds fought there be- tween the two will not soon forget them.
 Dempsey was seconded by Denny Costigan and Billy Madden. John Murphy oficiated with the bottle. Reagan was looked after by Bob Smith, his trainer, and Mike Costello Mike Donovan was also in his corner. Denny Costigan offered to bet $500 to $25O that Dempsey would win, but found no takers. At S:30 o'clock a Maltese cross was formed by the principals and seconds, and two min utes later the fight began. From the outset Reagan was overmatched by Dempsey in wrestling.
 Before the fight began objections were raised to the shoes worn by Reagan, on ac- | count of the spikes being too near the toe, but they were finally allowed to be used. The first two rounds were marked by some heavy slugging. In the third round Reagan, in one of the rushes he made, accidentally spiked Dempsey in terrible manner on his left leg. The bone could be seen, the cut be- ing so deep. There was considerable wrang- ling, Dempsey's umpire claiming the fight The referee, however, overlooked it. l In the fifth round the tide began to creep into the ring, but still the men fought des- perately, Dempsey with handkerchief tied about the wound in his leg.
 In the eighth round the water was two or three inches deep all over the ring, and the | lrAa xl,< I oi,s.ao i.e...>as .- until another ring could be pitched on dry land
 There was long and wordy war over the proposition to fight on the road, and finally Reagan's seconds refused to permit their man to battle except on turf. The referee, seeing that they were unchangeable, ordered all hands on board the tug again, and started in search of a fresh battle ground.
 Dempsey's seconds doctored his wounded leg with whisky while the tug was under way, and a proposition was made in the in- terests of humanity to postpone the fight for two weeks, in order to give his leg chance to heal. His seconds and umpire were in favor of this proposition, but Dempsey would not agree.
 "What," said he, "nurse sore leg for two weeks and try to train with ita I'd sooner fight with both legs cut off,"
 | AIIer run Oi aDOuC two hours the tug landed at an abandoned dock, back of which were some very pretty hills. On the summit of one of these bit of turf, as smooth as velvet and almost as soft and yielding, was | found. On it the ring was pitched for the second time. and at 1906 Dempsey was borne on the shoulders of friend to the ring side, his wounded leg being so stiff and sore at the time that he could not use it to climb the hill. Reagan quickly followed.
 At 12:1O D. m. the fight was renewed The ninth round was marked by terrific in-fight- ing. In the following rounds Reagan fought hard and fast, and elicited great praise from the spectators, but Dempsey constantly showed his superiority. Reagan, however, went on like spartan, and for round after round stuck to his man.
 In the forty-first round both men, at the same instant, gave each other vicious clips with right and left. Dempsey had scarcely 0 mark on him at this time. His left eye was slightly swollen.
 Rounds forty-two, forty-three and forty four practically closed the battle. In these three rounds Dempsey unmercifully pun ished Reagan, whose lips were puffed and his left eye was badly swollen. He was as game man as ever stood in a ring. He never cried quit. At the beginning of the l forty-fifth round Bob Smith, at the solicita- tion of Reagan's friends, who saw that he had no chance win, jumped into the ring and threw up thu sponge.
 The fight lasted one hour and nine minutes. In the first ring there was eighteen minutes fighting, and in the second ring fifty-one minutes The fight ended at 1:01 p. m., leaving Dempsey still the champion middle weight.
 Both men weighed at the ring 147 pounds each. Dempsey is 25 years old and Reagan is 2l years old. Dempsey is feet SjS inches high, and Reagan feet 6H inches. Demp- sey has won thirty battles and has had six drawn. He has never been defeated. Reagan has fought two times before. This is his third fight, and his first defeat